What is grooming?

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse describes grooming as the use of a variety of manipulative and controlling techniques; with a vulnerable subject; in a range of inter-personal and social settings; in order to establish trust or normalise sexually harmful behaviour; with the overall aim of facilitating exploitation and/or prohibiting exposure.

You probably know the person

A predator will need access to a child through their care givers which means they normally will have a relationship with you.

The report states: “Grooming usually involves a perpetrator establishing a trusting relationship with a child and those associated with the child's care and wellbeing, to create an environment in which abuse can occur.”

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Grooming usually involves a perpetrator establishing a trusting relationship with a child and those associated with the child's care and wellbeing

You are at risk too

Perpetrators can also groom others to gain access to a child or groom those who could be manipulated to conceal abuse, such as parents and other caregivers.

Knowledge is power

As a parent the best thing you can do is to read up on the warning signs and to keep an eye out for any danger.

The report argues that: “An enhanced understanding of the types of grooming techniques employed by perpetrators combined with broader institutional and social responses could assist in preventing institutional child sexual abuse.”

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